Liberty could not be bothered less with Jessica. Jessica could not get any useful news, so she had no choice but to return to Hank’s side bitterly.At the same time, she looked around the place.Although the space was not large, Liberty tidied it up and decorated it in a cozy manner.Jessica had to admit that Liberty was much better than her at housekeeping.Hank was teaching Sonny how to piece up the building blocks since he seldom accompanied his son. When he looked at the pile of scattered blocks and the assembly instructions, he found that it really was difficult to build.He would never have the patience to construct something like this.“Do you really know how to build that?” Jessica asked him.“Why don’t you give it a try?”Hank was having a headache and snapped at his wife when he heard her.Sonny looked up at Jessica, then at his father, and asked an innocent and pure question, “Dad, why is she always following you?”Hank was speechless.Before he could answer, Jess
His dad was not able to piece together the blocks earlier.Sonny felt that Duncan was more amazing.It was the first time he missed Duncan.If Duncan knew that Sonny missed him so much, he would feel incredibly flattered.Liberty looked through the clothes and toys that Hank bought for Sonny, then let him open them up and play with them.She went back to the kitchen to work, but she kept thinking about Jessica’s attitude.It was impossible for Jessica to like Sonny because he was Liberty’s son.Jessica’s expression always turned hideous whenever she heard that the Brown family wanted to visit Sonny.Why did Jessica’s attitude change recently?Not only did she not stop the Brown family from visiting Sonny, but she would also accompany Hank when he came over. Furthermore, she bought new clothes for Sonny. That was a bit odd.Jessica might be trying to create a bond with Sonny because the Brown family was trying to regain custody of him. However, she could wait until after the B
After the call, Zachary immediately contacted Josh and told him about Liberty’s suspicion.Josh said, “I just received some news too, and was about to tell you when you called me.”Zachary asked in a low voice, “What news? Is it related to Sonny’s attempted kidnapping?”“Yeah. My brother told me that he found out that Mrs. Newman had a gang leader as a godfather more than twenty years ago. However, that leader got arrested and sentenced to death. Some of the leader’s men were also convicted, but some disappeared from the face of the earth.“I suspect they were taken in by Mrs. Newman. Those men under the leader back then were all ruthless outlaws. It was a large gang too. If Mrs. Newman took them in and made them into bodyguards, their numbers could form a large company.“That happened twenty years ago, so it’s difficult to find out their whereabouts. It’ll take some time to get confirmation. Besides, those men are probably old now after twenty years, but they might have inducted
Case in point, he just asked Josh to investigate Jessica.He could not afford to offend Josh.“Thanks in advance. You’re really a good boss who’s considerate of your subordinates.”Josh flattered Zachary.Zachary laughed. “Enough already. I don’t know you. Just go on your date and soak in the honey jar all day. Be careful not to get diabetes from all the sweetness.”“You also soak in your honey jar all day, but I don’t see you getting diabetes. I just started, so I have nothing to be afraid of. I’m going on my date now. My Jasmine likes BBQ, so I’m taking her out to eat BBQ.”Josh hung up the phone.He and Jasmine often went out to eat barbecue.“Babe, do you want some jackfruit?”Serenity opened up a jackfruit, placed the flesh on a plate, and asked Zachary while walking toward him.Zachary turned pale at the smell of the jackfruit.He immediately stood up and walked away. “Honey, I don’t like the smell of jackfruit. You can eat slowly over there.”Serenity stopped in her
“Although a stepmother is also a mother, Sonny won’t call you Mom. Saying something like that will only upset everyone.”Jessica ignored him.She went straight to the car after leaving Liberty’s apartment block.Hank got into the car.“How about I take you shopping, honey?”“Then drive already,” Jessica snapped.“I said all those things for you. I know your family and you want Sonny back. If you want to take custody of Sonny, he’ll be living with us in the future. I’m just trying to adapt to the role of being a mother in advance.”Hank said while driving, “My parents want Sonny back very much. They couldn’t bear to part with Sonny from the beginning. They’re old, and Sonny is the only Brown grandson, so of course they miss him. However, I don’t intend to regain custody of Sonny.”He looked into Jessica’s eyes and said, “Back then, it was you who persuaded me to give up custody. I feel that it’s good for Sonny to follow Liberty. The people around Liberty now are on a different l
Chelsea swore to herself that she would never let Jessica live a happy life while she was around!Jessica stopped, turned her head, and asked coldly, “What?”Chelsea put down the TV remote control, got up, and walked over. She glanced at the numerous bags in Jessica’s hands. “What did you buy? There are so many bags. Spending money is the only thing you know. Hank and you are both unemployed and have no source of income now. Don’t you know how to be frugal?“Now, everything you eat and use comes from Hank’s pocket. You worked for so long but can’t bear to spend your own money, but you always spend Hank’s money. Do you think his money grows on trees?”Chelsea criticized Jessica for not knowing how to save money while forcefully seizing the bags from Jessica’s hands.“Chelsea, what are you doing?” Hank asked.Chelsea glared at him and snapped, “Can’t I have a look? Move aside. She saw me when she came in but didn’t bother greeting me at all. You spoiled her so much that she has no
“Wouldn’t it be humiliating for me if I left just because you told me to? This isn’t your house. Are you paying the rent? If you are, I’ll go out immediately and never come back.”Chelsea did not back down.Jessica was young and used to sitting in an office. She had not much strength and simply could not compete with Chelsea.Seeing that it was impossible to drive Chelsea out, Jessica turned and shouted angrily at her husband, “Hank Brown, can’t you see your sister is bullying me? Why aren’t you helping me to kick her out? I’m telling you now, between me and her, only one of us can stay in this house!”“Chelsea. Jessica. Will you two just stop arguing? You might not get tired of fighting all day, but I’m sick of it.”Hank was fed up with this state. He had no peace at home.As soon as he got home, it was either his mother or sister quarreling with his wife—not a single day of peace.Smack!Jessica was so angry that she slapped Hank.Hank was stunned by the slap. He clutched hi
Hank yelled behind the door, “Shut up and go home, Chelsea! Don’t come here anymore. You’ll just cause trouble!”Liberty was even more ruthless when she fought against his domestic violence. She chased him down several blocks with a kitchen knife.Did Chelsea forget that?Chelsea, who was scolded by her brother, yelled back furiously, “Yes, I’m a troublemaker. I just don’t like that b*tch. My parents are here, so this is my home too. What has that got to do with her? I can come here whenever I want. It’s not like I’m eating out of her pocket or sleeping under her roof. If she’s capable, tell her to pay for her own house. I promise I won’t take a single step into her house!”She wanted to make Jessica’s life a living hell!Jessica lay on the ground and cried bitterly.Except for the time when she was caught red-handed by Liberty and beaten up, she had never been so pathetic before.She was physically and mentally hurt and felt extremely aggrieved.Hank looked at her crying and f
“She lost the child when she fell on her own. That was our family’s flesh and blood, too!”Since Sonny did not live with the Browns, and despite her many objections, Olivia did not voice her criticisms toward Jessica when she was pregnant, out of consideration that Jessica was carrying the Brown family’s child.It was Jessica’s bad luck that she fell and lost the child, which made Olivia lose a grandson. If she had just one more grandson, she would not be waiting so eagerly for Sonny to return. It was all karmic retribution! “Mom, that's all in the past. I'm doing fine now. If the child wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be. They just didn't want to come into our lives. Anyway, Jessica is still my wife. I should go and see her. If I hadn’t corrupted her, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. It’s my fault, I ruined her.”When Jessica first became his secretary, she was still innocent and never thought of seducing him. It was he who fell for Jessica, and it was also he wh
Unfortunately, their regret and realization came too late. “I heard from Sonny that you and Mr. Lewis are getting married soon. When will the marriage be?”Olivia tried to make herself sound calmer. “We’ll be heading to the City Hall to complete the procedures later.”Olivia went silent. After some time, she said, “Oh, today? Congratulations, Liberty. I wish you both a happy marriage.”“Thank you.”Olivia initially had a lot of things to say. However, upon discovering Liberty and Duncan were getting their marriage license that day, the words got stuck in her throat. Saying anything was meaningless.Soon, Olivia hung up. Once the call ended, Luke, who had been sitting beside his wife, asked, “How did it go? Did Liberty agree to Sonny staying with us for a few days?”Olivia was still stunned and did not immediately reply to her husband’s question. At that moment, Hank came out of his room in his pajamas. When he saw his parents sitting on the sofa, he yawned and asked, “Wha
Serenity asked, “Duncan has no comments about it, right?”“No. He said that Hank would always be Sonny’s biological father. Sonny’s surname won’t be changed to Lewis as well. He’ll remain a Brown. That’s part of Hank’s and my divorce agreement.”Since Liberty had signed the agreement, she would keep her promise. No matter Sonny’s surname, the fact that he was a member of the Brown family would not change. If so, there was no point in changing his surname. “Duncan is so easygoing.”At that moment, Liberty’s phone rang.It was Olivia. When Liberty recognized her voice through the phone, she whispered to Serenity, “Speak of the devil. Olivia is calling me.”“What did you say, Liberty?”Olivia heard Liberty whispering but could not hear her clearly. She asked Liberty to repeat herself.“I was talking to my sister, Olivia. Why did you call?”It was still early in the morning. “You’re back from Jensburg, right, Liberty?”“Yes.”“That was what I heard. Look. The year is almo
“He doesn’t even want kids and said having Sonny was enough.”Duncan did not care about blood relations. Liberty believed him. He only cared about her. If Liberty had not had to manage the Fisher family, she probably would have taken more time to consider whether she wanted a second child. However, Duncan's love for her ran deep. She decided to try for another child so that he could have a child of his own. Liberty did not want to be selfish. She could not prioritize only herself and Sonny. She had to be considerate of Duncan as well. “By the way, there’s something that I need your help with.”Serenity said, “Oh you, don’t sound like a stranger. We’re sisters. I’m ready to help with whatever you need.”“I have to go to Jensburg next year. I think I’ll leave Sonny here in Wiltspoon for his studies. I’ll ask for Sonny’s opinion again once my situation in Jensburg is stable. If he wants to move to Jensburg to live with me, I'll bring him over.“If he says no, I’ll need y
“Morning, Liberty. The housekeeper said you weren’t out yet, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”Serenity stood and smiled when she saw Liberty enter. “I woke up when you arrived.”Liberty whispered, “Sonny is still asleep. Let’s go downstairs. You can accompany me on a walk outside too.”“What time are you and Duncan meeting?”Serenity was worried that Liberty would be late. Liberty said, “We still have to wait until the City Hall opens. Duncan and I agreed to meet at nine. It’s still early.”The three adults exited the child’s bedroom and went downstairs. Zachary remained in the house while Liberty and Serenity went on a stroll in the garden. Liberty’s villa initially belonged to Zachary. Although he sold it to Liberty, it was also considered a gift. She was the one who insisted on paying and refused to accept it as a gift. Therefore, Zachary accepted some money from her so that she would take it. The villas Zachary owned were never small. They usually came with garden
“As expected of a child’s skin. It’s so smooth,” said Serenity. “Catch me if you can, Isaac…”Sonny spoke in his sleep and even giggled. He dreamt of him and Isaac playing tag. When Isaac started running after him, he quickly turned to escape while laughing. He did not realize that he was dreaming. “I have two dads, Isaac…”Sonny spoke again.Serenity laughed and told Zachary, “Sonny must’ve had a blast yesterday. Even his sleep talking is related to playing.”She pinched Sonny’s face lightly. “You do have two dads, Sonny. They love you a lot, so you have double the love.”Serenity spoke gently, regardless of whether he could hear her. She bent over and left a soft kiss on his cheek. “That’s why you must be happy. I wish you a carefree life ahead.”She hoped he would grow up healthily and be worry-free. Sonny was in a deep sleep and did not reply to her. Liberty watched them from the door with an affectionate gaze. She felt content. Zachary and Serenity had a st
The night went by peacefully. The next morning, Liberty could hear her gates opening when she stirred in her bed. Soon, she heard her housekeeper talking. “You’re early, Mrs. York.”“Mm. My sister is getting married today. I couldn’t go back to sleep after I woke up, so I decided to come over.”While Serenity could not help Liberty and Zachary out with anything, she was excited to the point she could not sleep. It took Zachary a lot of effort to persuade her to sleep. However, she woke up at dawn after having a dream about her parents. She could not go back to sleep afterward and insisted on going to her sister’s place. Zachary thought he could sleep in since he was on break, but his wife just could not fall asleep. There was no helping it. The doting husband accompanied his wife to her sister’s house early in the morning. The housekeeper smiled. “Ms. Hunt isn’t awake yet.”“It’s okay. I won’t wake my sister.”Serenity finally felt at ease when she was at Liberty’s ho
After a pause, she said, “Let’s meet at nine in the morning. Seren and Zachary will come over to my place. They’ll be looking after Sonny for me. I’ll head out after they arrive. You can wait for me at the City Hall’s entrance.”“No. I want to go to the City Hall with you.”Duncan did not want to wait for her at the City Hall. He wanted to go together.“Bring Sonny along.“We’ll be a family of three from tomorrow onward. We should bring him along.”He would officially become Sonny’s father tomorrow. It did not matter that he was a stepfather. It was Duncan’s first time adoring a child that much, and he did not expect that he would later become that child’s father.After giving it some thought, Liberty said, “Okay. Let’s take Sonny with us.“By the way, Sonny won’t change his surname after we get married. That was Hank’s condition when we got divorced. Since I promised him, I’ll keep to my word.”Sonny would still be the grandson of the Browns. He would not become a Lewis.
Although Sonny was backed by a few wealthy families and would be well-supported even if he was incompetent, they still hoped he would turn out to be an outstanding individual. That way, he could be independent and achieve his goals without much help. Duncan had not thought about Sonny’s education plan. However, he knew Liberty had high hopes for Sonny. Even Serenity had never neglected Sonny’s nurturing. Despite only being in preschool, Sonny had started various hobby classes. It was to build a solid foundation and develop his interest in certain hobbies while still young. The only time he could fully enjoy playing was during winter and summer vacations. Liberty and Serenity had similar philosophies when it came to children’s education. They believed children had to study hard and play hard. Liberty nodded and said, “Sonny can have all the fun he wants when he’s young. Once the situation in Jensburg is stable, he’ll have to study and live there.“I wonder if he’ll be willing